I have assembled the following recipes using what I have on hand for last minute invitations; they are simple to make and are simply delicious:

Smoked Salmon Rolls

Makes 16 appetizers

1/4 cup spreadable light or regular cream cheese, at room temperature
4-6 store bought spinach tortillas
6-8 slices smoked salmon - about 1/2 250-g pkg
chopped fresh dill
fresh lemon juice

In a bowl stir cream cheese with enough lemon juice to help the cream cheese spread easily. Add lots of chopped fresh dill. Lay the tortillas on the counter with the most attractive sides facing down. Generously spread with cheese mixture almost to the edges.

Divide salmon over tortillas, tearing into pieces as needed. They won’t entirely cover the the cheese. Then tightly roll up tortillas. Place on a plate and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to a day to firm up for slicing. To serve, trim ends from tortillas and discard. Slice into thick rounds and place on a platter decorated with dill fronds.

Adapted from a recipe in Chatelaine Magazine, February 2008

Brie with Figs

This dish is impressive looking and tasting and always has guests begging for the recipe!

10 large fresh or good quality dried figs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp fresh thyme
2 tbsps balsamic vinegar
1/2 c toasted amonds
4 oz brie
Fresh baguette

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut figs into quarters. Heat brown sugar and balsamic vinegar until sugar is dissolved. Add figs and thyme and simmer for 10 minutes. Add almonds. Place brie in shallow ovenproof serving dish and pour hot mixture over the brie. Bake until brie is soft - 5 to 10 minutes . Serve with slices of baguette.

Note: If I am taking this dish to a party - I make the fig mixture ahead of time, and take it in a microwavable container to heat at the party. I heat it up, pour it over the brie, bake it in the host’s oven, and slice the baguette while it is baking. Serve warm.

Carmelized Pear on Warm Brie

Another party pleaser!

2 tsp butter
1 pear, diced
pinch salt and cinnamon
1/4 pear juice or apple juice (I had neither on hand, so used guava juice)
3 tbsp chopped pecans
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 round of Brie Cheese

In non-stick skillet, melt butter over medium heat: fry pear with salt and cinnamon for 5 minutes or until pear is softened.

Add pear juice, pecans, brown sugar , thyme and vinegar; boil, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until no liquid remains.

Place brie on ovenproof serving dish: top with pear mixture. Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is softened. Let stand for 5 minutes. Makes 8 appetizer servings.

Adapted from a recipe from the Canadian Living test kichen

Reminiscent of my mother’s war time cooking, where not a bread crust went to waste, a recipe search mixed with some creativity produced a perfect menu to use up the leftovers for our family’s Sunday dinner: Chicken pot pie, and root vegetable puree, served along with fresh farmer’s market Rapini. As I couldn’t resist the bargain basement blueberries on sale this week in the local grocery store that were 2 pints for 99 cents, dessert was a deliciously moist Blueberry Butter Cake.

Chicken Pot Pie

2-1/2 cups bite-sized cooked chicken
1 apple, peeled and cored
3 carrots
1/2 cup butter
2 onions, finely chopped
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/3 homogenized milk
1/2 tsp each salt and sage
1/4 tsp each curry powder and savory
Puff pastry for 10-inch crust

Place cooked chicken in a deep 10-inch pie plate. Cut apple into 1/3 inch cubes and carrots in 1/3 inch slices and add.

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare sauce by melting 2 tbsp butter in a saucepan. Add onions. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp curry. Saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add to chicken. Melt 1/3 cup butter in pan. Blend in flour. Stir over medium heat until bubbly. Gradually stir in milk and remaining seasonings. Continue stirring until sauce is very thick. Pour over chicken and vegetables and stir until mixed. Roll out pastry to a 12 inch circle. Place over pie plate and pinch edges to seal. Make a small hole in pastry. Bake for 1 hour until golden.

Note: If you don’t have leftover chicken to use, buy a grocery store rotisserie chicken, and cut into pieces - no one needs to know.

Source: Chatelaine Magazine

Mix n’ Match Root Vegetable Puree

1 kg of your choice of root vegetables, cut into chunks
1 whole bulb of garlic
4 tsp olive oil
4 tbsp sour cream (add more as needed)
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt, black pepper, freshly grated nutmeg

Heat the oven to 350F. Put the garlic bulk on a piece of foil, sprinkle with the olive oil, wrap up and bake until very soft and squashy, 35-45 minutes. Take out of the oven and cool slightly. Cut the garlic bulb in half crosswise and squeeze out the garlic pulp from the papery skins.

Unless you are using leftover roasted roots, as I did, put your choice of roots in a large pan of cold salted water. Bring to the boil and with the lid on, simmer steadily rather than boiling hard until tender. Test after 20 minutes with a fork. Drain and then put back in the dry pan over a low heat to steam out any wateriness. Using either an electric mixer or a food processor, mash to a smooth puree. Then beat the garlic, oil or butter, cream, lemon and generous seasoning until the puree is really light and fluffy.

Puree can be prepared several hours in advance and reheated either in a covered pan on a low heat or covered in a 300F oven.
Note: Use potatoes, celeriac, parsnips, sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips, rutabagas, either singly or in combination.

Source: Favorite Recipes from Books for Cooks 1, 2 & 3

Sauteed Broccoli Rabe or Rapini

2 bunches broccoli rabe
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 tbsp oilve oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
lemon wedges (optional)

Trim large stems from the broccoli rabe and discard. Wash and leave slightly wet. In a large saucepan with a lid, cook the garlic in oil over medium low heat until golden brown.

Add the broccoli rabe to the pot, turn heat to medium high, sprinkle with salt, and cover. Remove lid to stir every minute or so until rabe is completely wilted,about 5 minutes. Season with pepper and fresh lemon juice if desired.

Source: The best of Martha Stewart Living, What to Have for Dinner

Blueberry Butter Cake

Topping:

1 cup soft brown sugar
4 tbsp plain (all purpose flour)
5 tbsp cold butter

Cake:

2 cups plain (all purpose) flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 oz butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
2 cups blueberries

Heat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9 1/2 inch spring form pan and line the base with baking parchment.

Make the topping. Put the sugar, flour and butter in a bowl and either cut with 2 knives or rub with fingertips until crumbly.

Make the cake. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat the butter and sugar together until white and fluffy. Beat in the eggs a little at a time, sprinkling in 1 tbsp of the lfour mix. When you have added about half of the beaten eggs (this is to stop curdling). Add one third of the flour to the beaten butter-sugar-eggs mixture and fold in. Add one-third of the sour cream and fold in. Alternately add the remaining flour and sour cream until evenly combined.

Spread the batter in the cake tin and cover with an even layer of blueberries. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the blueberries. Bake until the sides of the cake have shrunk slightly away from the tin and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Place on a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes before unmoulding. You can serve it warm as a dessert or leave to cool completely and serve as a morning coffee or tea time treat.

Source: Favorite Recipes from Books 4, 5, 6 Books for Cooks

6 ounces great quality bitter-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup white flour
1-1/2 cups shelled pistachios

Line a 11 x 7 inch pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 375F.  Chop the chocolate, and cube the butter, and place in microwave safe bowl. Melt the chocolate mixture, and let cool for five minutes. Beat in the eggs and sugar, then fold in the flour and pistachios. Pour batter into pan and bake for about 25 minutes. If the brownies are not fully baked, check at five minute intervals.  A toothpick should come out clean when finished.

To add a kick to this recipe, push down Rolos or Caramilk squares into the batter before baking.

These are ideal for last minute hostess or co-worker gifts, especially if you present them in a festive looking tin. Pair with interesting mugs and coffee beans to plump up the gift if you need to.

White Chocolate Cranberry Muffins

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup coarsely chopped cranberries, partially thawed if frozen
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Blend flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In second bowl, combine milk, cooled melted butter and eggs. Stir in dry ingredients along with cranberries and white chocolate. Do not over-mix. Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups three quarters full with batter. Bake in a 400F oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until done. Cool on wire rack before serving. Store in tightly sealed box. Makes 14 medium muffins.

Source: ‘Tis the Season (Simon & Schuster) by Nanette Blanchard

Chicken and Lemongrass Soup with Rice Noodles 

4 cups chicken stock
1 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped
1 chicken breast fillet, thinly sliced
2 oz rice noodles
2 green onions, sliced
1-½ tablespoons chopped coriander (cilantro)

Heat the stock and lemongrass in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and noodles and cool for 4-5 minutes until the noodles are soft and the chicken is cooked through.  Stir through the green onions and coriander.  Serves 2

Chicken, Leek and Risoni Soup

1 tsp oil
1 leek, sliced
1 chicken breast fillet, thinly sliced
4 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup risoni or orzo or other small pasta
1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
sea salt and cracked black pepper

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leek and chicken. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the stock and pasta.  Cook for 8 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Stir through the parsley, salt and pepper. Serves 2

Chicken, Potato and Tarragon Soup

1 tsp oil
1 small onion, sliced
1 chicken breast fillet, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp tarragon leaves
¼ cup cream
sea salt and cracked black pepper

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the stock and potatoes and simmer for 6 minutes or until the potato is tender. Stir through the tarragon, cream, salt and pepper. Serves 2

Sweet Potato and Thyme Soup

16-½ oz sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 tsp thyme leaves
1 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ cup cream
sea salt and cracked black pepper

Place the sweet potato, onion, stock, thyme and mustard in a large saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 8 minutes or until the sweet potato is soft. Puree the soup with a hand blender or in a blender. Return the soup to medium heat and stir through the cream, salt and pepper. Serves 2

Source:  Donna Hay magazine, Issue 9

Often we indulge in fruit desserts, thinking they are lower in calories, but all fruit is not created equal. Apples are higher in calories than some other fruit – one apple has 82 calories compared to 18 calories in five strawberries, and 28 calories in 1 cup chopped rhubarb. So this dessert has used a mixture of fruit to deliver a guilt-free dessert.

Three-Fruit Crisp

3 medium-size apples
1 pint strawberries
4 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
3 tbsp each granulated sugar and all-purpose flour
½ tsp cinnamon

Topping
2/3 cup large-flake oats
1/3 cup each all-purpose flour and brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F. Peel and core apples. Slice into thin wedges. Place in a large bowl. Hull strawberries, then cut into quarters and place in bowl with apples. If using frozen rhubarb, place in a sieve and rinse under cold water to remove ice crystals. Place rhubarb in bowl with other fruit. In a small bowl, stir 3 tbsp each sugar and flour with ½ tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle over fruit and toss to evenly coat. Turn into an oblong baking dish. Gently press down to even out surface.

For topping, in a medium-size bowl, stir oats with flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Slowly drizzle in butter, stirring in with a fork. Evenly scatter over top of fruit.

Bake uncovered in center of preheated 350F oven until fruit starts to bubble around edges and a knife tip inserted in center of crisp comes out hot, about 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of vanilla yogurt. Leftovers (if any) keep well, covered, and refrigerated 2 to 3 days.

Source: Chatelaine Magazine May 2004

Carrot-Mango Soup

6 to 7 large carrots, about 2 lbs - organic have the best flavour
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp curry powder
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp salt
2 large, very ripe mangoes
snipped chives or chopped parsley

Peel and coarsely chop carrots. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and curry. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion has softened and mixture is fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Add carrots, broth, juice and salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until carrots are very tender, about 30 mnutes.

Meanwhile, peel and slice mangoes away from stones. Coarsely chop. Puree in a food processor until as smooth as possible. Turn into a small bowl. When carrots are tender, remove from broth and puree in batches using a little broth in saucepan. Stir in mango puree. Heat over medium low heat, uncovered and stirring often, until hot, about 5 minutes. Serve hot or refrigerate and serve cold with a scattering of snipped chives. Soup will keep well, covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days or freeze.

Soup isn’t something you normally associate with summer, but served cold or at room termperature, it can be a simple summer meal with a fresh baguette. Recently, I had 8 guests for dinner after working all day (what was I thinking?), and served appetizer portions of soup in tiny chinese tea cups. The look was stunning and the guests were definitely im pressed. Most soups are best made ahead to allow the flavour to blend.
With bounties of delicious mangoes in every grocery store at bargain basement prices, I knew I wanted to incorporate them into the summer soup for my guests.

A combination of beta-carotene-rich mangoes and carrots, energized with vitamin-packed orange juice, makes this is an interesting and healthy soup - hot or cold.

Carrot-mango soup

6 to 7 large carrots, about 2 lbs - organic have the best flavour

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 tsp cury powder

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 tsp salt

2 large, very ripe mangoes

snipped chives or chopped parsley

Peel and coarsely chop carrots. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and curry. Cook , stirring frequently, until onion has softened and mixture is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, broth, juice and salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until carrots are very tender, about 30 mnutes.

Meanwhile, peel and slice mangoes away from stones. Coarsely chop. Puree in a food processor until as smooth as possible. Turn into a small bowl. When carrots are tender, remove from broth and puree in batches using a little broth in saucepan. Stir in mango puree. Heat over medium low heat , uncovered and stirring often, until hot, about 5 minutes. Serve hot or refrigerate and serve cold with a scattering of snipped chives. Soup will keep well, covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days or freeze. Makes 8 cups.

Often we indulge in fruit desserts, thinking they are lower in calories. But, all fruit is not created equal. Apples are higher in calories than some other fruit – for example, one apple has 82 calories as compared to 18 calories in five strawberries, and 28 calories in 1 cup chopped rhubarb. So, this dish has used a mixture of fruit to deliver a guilt-free dessert.

Three-Fruit Crisp

3 medium-size apples
1 pint strawberries
4 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
3 tbsp each granulated sugar and all-purpose flour
½ tsp cinnamon

Topping
2/3 cup large- flake oats
1/3 cup each all-purpose flour and brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F. Peel and core apples. Slice into thin wedges. Place in a large bowl. Hull strawberries, then cut into quarters and place in bowl with apples. If using frozen rhubarb, place in a sieve and rinse under cold water to remove ice crystals. Place rhubarb in bowl with other fruit. In a small bowl, stir 3 tbsp each sugar and flour with ½ tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle over fruit and toss to evenly coat. Turn into an oblong baking dish. Gently press down to even out surface.

For topping, in a medium-size bowl, stir oats with flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Slowly drizzle in butter, stirring in with a fork. Evenly scatter overtop fruit.

Bake uncovered in centre of preheat 350F oven until fruit starts to bubble around edges and a knife tip inserted in centre of crisp comes out hot, about 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of vanilla yogurt. Leftovers (if any) keep well, covered, and refrigerated 2 to 3 days.

Source: Chatelaine Magazine May 2004